BAFTA Nominees Announced

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released its list of nominees for the 2003 Children’s Film and Television Awards. Among the animated entries, The Nickelodeon/Paramount feature The Wild Thornberrys Movie and the Collingwood O’Hare Ent/HIT Ent./CiTV series Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto! received the most nominations with two each. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 30. The awards are presented in association with the LEGO Company.

Turning to feature films, producers Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo, along with directors Jeff McGrath and Cathy Malkasian, find their The Wild Thornberrys Movie in competition with two of the year’s biggest EFX flicks. The Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount Movies/United International Pictures U.K. production will take on Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, New Line’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, as well asIcon Film Distribution’s critical darling Whale Rider.

The team of Collingwood O’Hare Ent., HIT Ent. and CiTV pick up their second nod for Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto! in the Writer category, where Tony Collingwood is up against fellow scribes Mary Morris for The Story of Tracy Beaker (CBBC/BBC1), Carol Noble for Girls in Love (Granada Kids/CiTV) and Alex Williamsfor Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land (Alibi Productions/CiTV)

Young viewers voted for the top ten films in the LEGO/BAFTA Kids Vote. Disney leads the pack as its Jungle Book 2, Lilo and Stitch, The Santa Clause 2 and Treasure Planet take on Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Universal’s Hulk, New Line’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Sony Pictures’ Men in Black II, Paramount’s The Wild Thornberrys and Twentieth Century Fox’s X2:X-Men United.